Rajmata Gayatri Devi passes away

Rajmata Gayatri Devi, aged 90, the Shantiniketan-educated former Queen Mother of the erstwhile Jaipur State, died on Wednesday. Hailed as one of the world’s ten most beautiful women by Vogue magazine, the founder of the Swatantra party in Rajasthan was elected to the Lok Sabha thrice. As an MP she was known for her work for the emanicipation of women.

A pioneer in women’s education and three-time MP from Jaipur in the 1960s and early 1970s, Ms. Gayatri Devi was brought to Jaipur about a fortnight ago from London in an air ambulance following complaints of nausea and loss of appetite.
Her condition improved slightly after hospitalisation, but she soon developed breathing problems from Tuesday and the end came around 4 p.m.